Balallan Bistro in Eilean Siar

We’d heard about the Bistro but hadn’t visited until one Saturday when we called in hoping to get a late lunch. We had food which was so delicious. Rarely have I enjoyed a meal so much and I am recommending that, if they want to eat the most delicious food, prepared by a skilful chef, assisted by friendly staff and at a price that won’t break the bank, my summer guests need look no further. I only hope that there’ll be a table left for me! Well done everyone.

A great find, delicious fresh food cooked to order with friendly staff. From an ex restauranteur, ‘outstanding’ / ‘superb’!

Had a fantastic meal here on our Hebridean way cycle holiday. Wonderful food, great menu, young vibrant team cooking and serving. Highly recommended, not to be missed!

Do not let the bland exterior of a Community Centre put you off. Here is a chef who cares about the food he prepares and servers who care about the customers they serve. They have not tried to dress up the venue - it’s so functional & plain that it’s almost stylish. A good blackboard menu, long enough to be interesting & short enough to know the food will be fresh & freshly prepared. You’ll wait a few minutes longer for your food because everything is individually prepared to order but it’s a cheerful, relaxed wait and absolutely worth it. On two visits we tried tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, Thai curry, venison stew & seafood pasta in cream sauce - each excellent, served on plain chinaware without fuss. Damned good coffee, too!

The Bistro is in the community hall, and is a great use of the space. The Restaurant was bright and cheerful with an amazing view out of the window. The staff were very friendly and helpful and could not do enough to make us feel welcome and accommodated. The food was exceptional we ordered a variety of dishes and each one was prepared with great care and attention to detail. We thoroughly enjoyed every course put in front of us and will certainly come back again when next on the Isle of Lewis. Great to see a small business like this staffed by a hard working and passionate team, I wish them every success for the future, this is one of the Islands best kept culinary secrets.

This is such a great and quirky restaurant. The food is delicious and the staff were very friendly. The experience was lovely and the setting was simple but it works. Don’t expect an extensive menu or huge portions but it still has brilliant food. Prices are a good bit lower than equivalent in Stornaway so worth the drive. Overall experience was excellent and staff are great with the kids.

The legend of two Stew Dave would have nothing on us if they haven't run out of stew before we arrived. However we mainaged to sample most of the menu and even had one return for a second main dish. This unassuming community hall will hold the best meal you will have in the span of the outer hebrides. This brother run duo (plus partner) will warm your very wet socks and fill your belly. This food draws from their wealth of travel and training while encompasses their love of food. This was hands down the pinnacle of our very foodie trip in the outer hebrides. One star. JK- The full Jackson five.

this is a gem, be sure to check it out a drive south from town but worth it great chef interesting dishes

I dropped in to the Bistro for a quick bite expecting something quite run of the mill but was hugely impressed. The apparently simple haddock in batter dish was perhaps the best I have ever had. Perfectly cooked with sophisticated salad and artisan tartar sauce. Quite simply delicious. Apple crumble was very good with a ginger twist. Don't let the location of the community centre and the cafe-vinyl tablecloths, plastic chairs and laid-back, informality fool you... this was seriously good food. All fresh and made to order with care. Friendly atmosphere from a team who are clearly competent and rightly proud of what they are doing. Highly recommend.

Totally charming and unpretentious establishment serving delicious food served in the old school canteen. The food is cooked by Rory who you can tell really cares and thinks about what he prepares. The dishes are simple but interesting and cooked extremely well, using fresh local ingredients where possible. The atmosphere is relaxed, with sofas where you can chill out and in the evenings electro swing playing quietly in the background. The cost is less than I have been paying elsewhere in the Outer Hebrides but the food is better. It is part of their ethos to serve quality food at reasonable prices. This place is deservedly popular and you will need to book. The fact that it still fills up in the winter with locals travelling from all over the island should tell you something. I expect it has a strong cult following and could potentially expand a lot but I hope does not change too much.

Had the most delicious meal at the Bistro. Like Sara's previous (ditto everything she said) this place has to be put on the map. Word is getting around with the good folk of Lewis but tourists could easily sail on last and miss a truly wonderful culinary experience.

There’s few eateries in this area (understandably) so finding places to eat and at the height of the tourist season, can be difficult. Balallan Bistro was recommended to us and we were not disappointed. The fact the bistro was in a community hall with great views over lochs and mountains only added to our experience. The food was very good indeed. My local smoked salmon salad and my wife’s beef croquets were delicious. We both had fresh haddock pasta - fantastic. Others we spoke to as we were leaving also extolled the food and experience. Well done Rory and his excellent team.

Recommended by our holiday host, we were not disappointed. Yes, the venue is plain and cafe-like, but the guys were friendly and welcoming and the menu a delight. Food was delicious: beautifully cooked venison casserole, with glorious buttery mash, and my husband had the haddock seafood pasta , again enjoying every mouthful. We brought our own wine as advised. Would happily go again if we were staying longer in the area.

Average food and average coffee. We were glad of a place to stop but wish we had held out to Crust near Achmore. However staff friendly and helpful

Quirky location in the local community centre which added to a great meal and made for a delightful evening. Wide range of local and continental dishes, brilliant service and reasonably priced. No alcohol licence, so bring your own and no corkage fee. A real find.

Just go there...you will not be disappointed. Guaranteed to be like no other dining out experience. You will be telling your nearest and dearest.

Way overpriced - maybe fine for tourists, but 14GBP for fish and chips is just silly. Wouldn't be as bad if the portion was big - but they literally cut the fish In half. So the place is far too expensive. Would not recommend and...

We so easily could have missed it. Decided to try it as it had been recommended then couldn’t find it. Turns out we had driven past the unassuming community hall not realising what was happening inside. This place is a real gem. Brilliant young chef,...

Recommended by our guest house Clearview we booked the bistro and the owners reminded us it has no licence so bring your own. The venue is very much a brightly lit village hall with a canteen like kitchen hatch. However from the moment you arrive...

You would pass this place by - it looks lime and in a way is a community hall. You would miss out on the some of the best food I have ever eaten and that includes a Michelin 3 star. Just superb. Two young guys...

Not your usual kind of bistro don't be misled by the exterior, this is a gem of a find ... Stopped off first for coffee and delicious home made scones ... the warm welcome eased our tired feet walking the Hebridean Way. Returning thay night...

The welcome and the food could not be faulted. The fresh pasta was delicious, the triple cooked chips were the best I have ever tasted and the chocolate desert did not disappoint . Overall , a fabulous experience and we cannot wait to return.

On our way to find our bed for the night at Kinloch-House (a whole other fabulous story) when we passed what I assumed was a shop/mini supermarket. As shops are few and far between we stopped our van and I jumped out to go and...

These guys are amazing ! We missed our 8pm booking due to getting into a bit of difficulty with our kayaks so called to explain and they couldn't have been more helpful. They stayed open for us after hours to ensure we got a hot...

Where do you start with something so fantastic! Rory is an amazing chef and Ryan an amazing host. As a team, they produce some of the best food in a Bistro chic environment with the friendliest and most courteous service I have come across. It...

What a great enterprise- and what’s not to like? Lovely menu, beautifully cooked and nicely presented. All 4 of us had the steak and all 4 of us left clean plates. Steaks were cooked exactly as requested and veg and peppercorn sauce were fantastic. Starters...

Well this really was a very pleasant surprise. Think Community-Centre-lacking-any-ambience but with high quality food and charming service and you've got the Balallan Bistro to a tee. It's apparently only been open for a couple of months, but they have nailed it. Great home cooked...

Our family enjoyed a beautifully cooked dinner here, in the unusual setting of the old school hall. The view is pretty good too. We wish them every success with this new venture - hope it does really well.

The old Sgoil in Balallan, the Kinloch Historical Society, has a new open cafe - with hearty fill-me-up dishes! It is the only stop on the route between Tarbert and Stornoway; and the chef is an excellent cook with soup of the days, steak and...